The finalists were selected from 70 entries offering innovative ideas addressing pollution, energy efficiency, renewable energies, green buildings, smart electricity grids and new transportation systems.

Senator Kim Carr, Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry Science and Research, announced the finalists, and said that the competition, an initiative of the Gillard Government’s Clean Technology Focus for Supply Chains program, is part of a $50 million effort to foster Australian industry at home and overseas.

Finalists will be mentored by the Department of Innovation and competition partners during an intensive workshop covering business know-how and skills to help make their ideas a commercial reality.

The finalists are:

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  • AquaGen SurgeDrive®: A wave energy system that has its energy conversion system above water for reduced costs and improved efficiency
  • AquaHydrex: An inexpensive, integrated solar-powered water-splitting technology that enables onsite manufacturing of hydrogen for use in industrial processes
  • Calcination Energy Storage: A system that combines molten salt technology with the chemical dissociation reaction of lime calcination to store energy
  • Cogen Microsystems: A cost-effective hybrid solar energy system using a heat engine and low cost solar thermal collectors to generate electricity and hot water
  • DrainWave: A system which enables low flow water appliances through pulsing water through existing plumbing systems
  • Eco Whisper Turbine: A unique, efficient and virtually silent 20kW horizontal axis wind turbine that utilises a unique blade design and an outer cowling/ring to ensure optimum energy conversion
  • LubeMaster: A centrifuge technology that provides ongoing cleaning of oil in a more efficient way than standard pore membrane filers
  • SMAC Technologies: A patented, proven and highly energy efficient, low cost air conditioning technology that reduces AC energy consumption by 30 per cent to 85 per cent
  • SolMax: A bi-directionally low-head water turbine designed to maximise operational efficiency in slow water flows
  • YellowDot Energy: A solar-powered high-flow groundwater extraction system using control algorithms to optimise water flow.

The competition winner will be announced on 6 October 2011, and will go on to represent Australia at the international Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition in the United States, competing against entrants from 90 countries.